New York—Today, the Supreme Court of the U.S. (SCOTUS) retained the temporary block on deportations under the Alien Enemies Act. The justices also sent the case back to the federal appeals court, which they directed to examine claims by those who have been detained that they could not be legally deported under the Alien Enemies Act. The justices called for the lower court to consider how much notice the government should be required to provide to ensure the accused have an opportunity to challenge their deportations.
Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition:
“Thousands of immigrants who have been wrongfully accused of being gang members and detained in horrendous facilities without any due process are cautiously optimistic as a result of today’s SCOTUS decision. We have already seen too many New Yorkers sent to El Salvador without any due process, and the Trump administration shows no interest in returning even those who have been proven to be innocent of the charges. History will not look kindly at this moment in time, as the Trump administration resurrected the Alien Enemies Act simply to make it easier to achieve its mass deportation agenda. No one is safe when authoritarianism disguises itself as ‘law and order.’ History has branded moments like these in shame—and it warns us that once the government seizes unchecked authority, it never stops at its first target.”